LOCATION DELICIAS PREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, ferruginous, isohyperthermic Rhodic Hapludox
TYPICAL PEDON: Delicias clay--naturalized pastureland (Colors are for moist soil).
Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) clay; strong fine granular structure; friable; slightly sticky and plastic; common fine roots, few medium roots; common fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; about 15 percent, by volume, ironstone pebbles; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (4 to 8 inches thick)
Bo1--6 to 14 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) gravelly clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly sticky and plastic; common faint clay films on ped faces; common fine roots, few medium roots; common fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; about 25 percent, by volume, ironstone pebbles; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 8 inches thick)
Bo2--14 to 21 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) gravelly clay; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly sticky and plastic; common faint clay films on ped faces; common fine roots, few coarse roots; common fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; about 25 percent, by volume, ironstone pebbles; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (7 to 12 inches thick)
Bo3--21 to 36 inches; dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4) very gravelly clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly sticky and plastic; common distinct clay films on ped faces; common fine roots; common fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; about 40 percent, by volume, ironstone pebbles; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)
Bo4--36 to 47 inches; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) gravelly clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly sticky and plastic; common prominent clay films on ped faces; common fine roots; common fine interstitial and few fine tubular pores; about 25 percent, by volume, ironstone pebbles; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. (8 to 17 inches thick)
Bo5--47 to 68 inches; dark red (2.5YR 3/6) clay; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; slightly sticky and plastic; common prominent clay films on ped faces; common fine tubular and few medium interstitial pores; about 25 percent, by volume, ironstone pebbles; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. Approximately 200 feet west from the intersection of P.R. Hwy. 100 and Los Americanos Road and about 25 feet north from the road in naturalized pastureland; USGS Mayagez topographic quadrangle (1964); lat. 18 degrees 07 minutes 40 seconds N.; long. 67 degrees 09 minutes 37 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness is more than 60 inches. Reaction ranges from very strongly acid to strongly acid throughout, except where the surface has been limed.
The Ap horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 3, and chroma of 3 or 4. Content of ironstone pebbles range from 0 to 35 percent, by volume. Texture is clay, or their gravelly analogs.
The upper part of the Bo horizon has hue of 10R to 5YR, value of 3, and chroma of 4 or 6. Content of ironstone pebbles range from 15 to 50 percent, by volume. Texture is clay or their gravelly analogs.
The lower part of the Bo horizon has hue of 10R or 2.5YR, value of 3, and chroma of 3 or 6. Content of ironstone pebbles range from 5 to 45 percent, by volume. Texture is clay or their gravelly analogs.
COMPETING SERIES: These are no known series in the same family.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Delicias soils are on foot slopes and alluvial fans in the Humid Mountains and Valleys MLRA. Slopes range from 5 to 20 percent. They formed in fine textured colluvium from soils weathered from serpentinite bedrock. The climate is humid tropical. The average annual precipitation ranges from 60 to 70 inches and the average annual temperature ranges from 75 to 79 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Guanajibo, Nipe and Rosario series. Guanajibo soils are on lower positions and have more than 5 percent plinthite in their profiles. Nipe soils are on higher positions and have lower cation retention capacity. Rosario soils are on higher positions and are moderately deep to serpentinite bedrock.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Delicias soils are on naturalized pastureland. The vegetation consists of native and introduced grasses, shrubs, and trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Foot slopes and alluvial fans of the humid mountains and valleys of southern Puerto Rico. The series is of minor extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Raleigh, North Carolina.
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Suroeste SCD, Puerto Rico.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0 to 6 inches (Ap horizon).
Oxic horizon - the zone from 6 to 68 inches (Bo1, Bo2, Bo3, Bo4 and Bo5 horizons).
Rhodic feature - 2.5YR hue and 3 value in oxic horizon.
The type location was moved to its present location in 2004. The classification was updated with the 4/91 draft from Clayey, oxic, isohyperthermic Typic Haplorthox to Fine, ferruginous, isohyperthermic Rhodic Haplustox. The previous OSED was dated 4/87. After much evaluation, further updates to classification includes changing the moisture regime to Udic in 10/02. These soils were formerly included in the Nipe series.
Delicias soils are in MLRA 270.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Characterization pedon - Cabo Rojo Municipality, Puerto Rico; S04PR-023-021R. Sample by NSSL, Lincoln, NE., 08/04.